Popcorn display machine



March 5, 1949- o. G. PACK 2,464,460

POPCORN DISPLAY MACHINE Filed May 28, LL94? 29 m 55 Z 2 I m.- a v M 7 -U+-%. y

Z6 26 1 a? 55 36 27 Z7 32 NH, sql l I In L '/5 z flmll 4" |l I We 49 4 4 r E I Patented Mar. 15, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE POPCORN DISPLAY MACHINE Orvilla G. Pack, Kansas City, Mo.

Application May 28, 1947, Serial No. 751,159

1 Claim. 1

' The present invention relates in general to display devices and deals more particularly with advertising devices adapted to be used in promoting the sale of fresh salted popcorn and the like. An object of the invention is to provide a machine for handling popcorn in such a way as to simulate the popping thereof. More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a machine of this character which is easily portable and occupies little area, yet which presents a prominent and attractive display.

Another object is to provide a popcorn display machine which is economical to manufacture, reliable in operation and easy to maintain.

A feature of the invention resides in the arrangement for keeping the popcorn in motion and particularly in the construction which prevents packing of the kernels of popcorn.

Another feature resides in the improved arrangement for illuminating the display,

Other objects and features will appear in the course of the following description of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of the specification and are to be read in conjunction therewith, and in which like reference numerals are employed to identify like parts of the various views,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a popcorn display unit embodying the invention,

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the display unit,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3--3 of Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrows,

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 44 of Fig. 3 in the direction of the arrows, and.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 3 in the direction of the arrows.

Referringmore particularly to the drawings, the housing of my device comprises three superposed cylindrical shells, the lowermost shell l being formed of metal or opaque molded plastic, the intermediate shell ll being of translucent glass or plastic, preferably colored red, and the uppermost shell I2 being of transparent glass or plastic. Cylinders l0 and II are fastened together by screws l3 while cylinders II and I2 are fastened by screws l4. An inwardly extending bead I near the top of the lowermost shell helps to carry the weight of the upper two shells while a similar bead l6 near the bottom of shell l0 serves to properly locate the circular base [1 therein. The base is maintained in place by suitable wood screws as shown.

Mounted on the base by a pair of brackets 18 and I9 are two identical motor-driven blowers 20' and 2! the respective motors being identified by reference numerals 22 and 23. The outlets of the two blowers are directed vertically upward side by side, and together they support a funnel 24 which is fastened to them by screws 25. The upper end of the funnel conforms with the inside diameter of shell l2 whereby it is held against lateral movement. In the funnel are three windows 23 underneath each of which is an incandescent lamp 2? carried by a bracket 28. The lower edges of the individual windows are retained by legs 29 struck out of the body of the funnel, while the upper edges rest against the inside of shell l2.

At the top of the latter shell are a pair of opposed collars 29 and 30, the lower one of which is secured to shell l2 by screws 3|, the upper one being supported in spaced relationship there-- above by an annular strip of screen material 32. Across the end of the latter collar is a screen door 33 hinged at 34 to a member 35 welded or otherwise secured to collar 30. A latchingmember 35 pivotally mounted on the collar 33 normally cooperates with a raised boss on the frame of door 33 in order to maintain same closed. Resting on the upper end of shell I2 is an annular frame 31 which carries a screen 38 disposed across the end of the shell. This screen is of somewhat smaller mesh than that in the collar 32 and the door 33.

The electrical wiring has been omitted from the drawings for the sake of simplicity but it will be understood that the two blower motors and the three lamps 21 are connected in parallel to the power supply over conductors 39. A switch 40 is interposed in the common circuit for the purpose of turning them on and off together, and a fuse 4| also is provided in series with the motor and, lamps to guard against an overload.

In practice a quantity of popcorn is popped by means not shown and introduced into the funnel where it rests on a screen 42 positioned at the small end thereof. The insertion of the popcorn is accomplished by first opening door 33 and then removing the circular screen 33 through the door; after the popcorn is in place screen 38 is returned to its resting place on top of shell I2 and. the door is reclosed and latched.

Now when switch 40 is closed the lamps 21 light and the blowers 20 and 2| start. Air is drawn through the sliding screen doors 43 into the blower intakes and expelled upwardly as shown by arrows in Fig. 3, leaving the top of the unit through screens 32 and 33. The upward air current lifts the exploded kernels of popcorn resting on the screen 42 upwardly while other kernels slide down the sides of the funnel to a point over the screen whereupon they, too, are carried upwardly in the air stream. In other words, popcorn is blown continuously into the space encircled by the transparent cylinder, the individual kernels dropping back into the funnel after they reach the peak of their travel (which on the average is somewhat below screen 38) so that they are recycled into the upward air stream. At the same time, the lamps 21 illuminate the flying kernels through windows 26 in the funnel and impart a glow to the translucent red shell II, which conveys to the casual observer the impression that the movement of the kernels is due to heat being applied at a point below the transparent cylinder [2.

It has been found that the use of a single blower and a regularly shaped conical funnel in a deviceof this kind permits the kernels to pack at the base of the funnel and frequently renders the display inoperative. This difficultiy has been overcome in the present case by providing an inclined shelf M to interrupt the regular contour of the funnel and employing two blowers positioned as shown with their outlets side by side and their inlets arranged facing one another. The shelf carries the weight of part of the corn descending in the funnel whereby the full load does not fall on the kernels at the base thereof, and this naturally relieves the tendency of the corn to pack. There nevertheless are occasions when the corn begins to pile up over one blower outlet; and at these times the blast of air from the other blower outlet, by tearing the kernels away from the edge of the accumulating pile, breaks up the tendency of the corn to become packed in that pile.

Screen 38 is of sufliciently fine mesh to prevent particles of corn or husk from being blown out of the top of the device.

From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinbefore set forth together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the apparatus.

Inasmuch as many possible embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcornbinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

In a display device for simulating the popping of corn, a pair of vertical cylinders of substantially the same diameter secured end to end, the upper cylinder transparent, the lower cylinder translucent, a funnel for receiving popcorn mounted within the lower cylinder so its large end is at the top of the lower cylinder, a source of air directed upwardly into the small end of the funnel to blow the popcorn upwardly into the space encircled by the transparent cylinder, a plurality of windows in the funnel covered by transparent material, and a source of light below the funnel within the translucent cylinder for i1 luminating said corn through said windows as it is blown upwardly and at the same time illuminating the translucent cylinder.

ORVILLAG. PACK- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: V

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,101,422 Fielding June 23, 1914 1,118,904 Kelley Nov. 24, 1914.- 1,350,542 Booth Aug. 24, 1920" 2,361,346 Atkins Oct. 24, 1944 

